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Theocratic Government
Theocratic Government is a form of Ecclesiastical polity that has been historically associated with the teachings of A.J. Tomlinson and Grady R. Kent. It was previously employed in Church of God and Church of God of Prophecy and now only remains in use with The Church of God (Jerusalem Acres) and a few smaller organizations. It was designed to be patterned after the same form of government used in the Bible by Moses and Jesus. It consists of an ''Anointed Leader'' at the head, ''Twelve Apostles'', ''Seven Business Overseers'', and ''Seventy-Two Prophets'', in addition to having various bishops, deacons and ministers serving under them. History In 1903, ''A.J. Tomlinson'' was appointed as the overseer of a group that would come to call themselves Church of God. Rather than simply accept the common forms of polity being used by other churches, he felt it was necessary to search the scriptures in order to find the proper mode of church governance. Once the movement of the ''Church o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ecclesiastical Polity
Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a church or of a Christian denomination. It also denotes the ministerial structure of a church and the authority relationships between churches. Polity relates closely to ecclesiology, the study of doctrine and theology relating to church organization. ''Ecclesiastical polity'' is defined as both the subject of ecclesiastical government in the abstract and the particular system of government of a specific Christian organization. The phrase is sometimes used in civil law. History Questions of ecclesiastical government are first documented in the first chapters of the '' Acts of the Apostles'' and "theological debate about the nature, location, and exercise of authority, in the church" has been ongoing ever since. The first act recorded after the Ascension of Jesus Christ was the election of Saint Matthias as one of the Twelve Apostles, to replace Judas Iscariot. The Twelve Apostles were the first to instan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James (brother Of Jesus)
James the Just, or a variation of James, brother of the Lord ( la, Iacobus from he, יעקב, and grc-gre, Ἰάκωβος, , can also be Anglicized as "Jacob"), was "a brother of Jesus", according to the New Testament. He was an early leader of the Jerusalem Church of the Apostolic Age. Traditionally, it is believed he was martyred in AD 62 or 69 by being stoned to death by the Pharisees on order of High Priest Ananus ben Ananus. Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians teach that James, along with others named in the New Testament as "brothers" of Jesus, were not the biological children of Mary, mother of Jesus, but were possibly cousins of Jesus, or step-brothers from a previous marriage of Joseph (as related in the Gospel of James). The Catholic tradition holds that this James is to be identified with James, son of Alphaeus, and James the Less. It is agreed by most that he should not be confused with James, son of Zebedee also known as James the Great. Epithet Eusebi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seven Spirits Of God
In the Christian Bible, the term Seven Spirits of God appears four times in the Book of Revelation.''The Book of Revelation'' by Robert H. Mounce 1997 Eerdmans Pub. pp. 46–4/ref>''Revelation 1–11'' by John F. MacArthur (15 Apr 1999) pp. 108, 151, 16/ref> The meaning of this term has been interpreted in multiple ways.''Revelation'' by Craig S. Keener 2000 Zondervan Section 1:/ref> Biblical references The seven Spirits of God ( gr, τα επτά πνεύματα του θεού, ''ta hepta pneumata tou theou'') are mentioned four times in the Book of Revelation, and in the Book of Isaiah it names each Spirit. : Revelation 1:4: ''John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;'' : Revelation 3:1: ''And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acts 6
Acts 6 is the sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It records the ordination of the first seven deacons and the work of one of them, Stephen. The book containing this chapter is anonymous but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that Luke composed this book as well as the Gospel of Luke.Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012. Text The original text was written in Koine Greek and is divided into 15 verses. Textual witnesses Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: * Codex Vaticanus (AD 325–350) * Codex Sinaiticus (330–360) * Papyrus 8 (4th century; extant verses 1–6, 8–15) * Codex Bezae (~400) * Codex Alexandrinus (400–440) * Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (~450; lacunae: verse 8) * Codex Laudianus (~550) Appointment of the Seven (6:1-7) In this part Luke provides 'a brief glimpse into the inner workings of the church', bracketed with 'two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Seven Deacons
The Seven, often known as the Seven Deacons, were leaders elected by the early Christian church to minister to the community of believers in Jerusalem, to enable the Apostles to concentrate on 'prayer and the Ministry of the Word' and to address a concern raised by Greek-speaking believers about their widows being overlooked in the daily ''diakonia'' or ministry. New Testament The works of Stephen and Philip are the only two recorded and their works concern preaching, catechising and baptising. Philip is simply referred to as "the evangelist" in chapter 18. Their appointment is described ichapter 6of the Acts of the Apostles (). According to a later tradition they are supposed to have also been among the Seventy Disciples who appear in the Gospel of Luke (). Although the Seven are not called 'deacons' in the New Testament, their role is described as 'diaconal' (διακονεῖν τραπέζαις in Greek), and they are therefore often regarded as the forerunners of the Chri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saint Matthias
Matthias (Koine Greek: Μαθθίας, ''Maththías'' , from Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ ''Mattiṯyāhū''; cop, ⲙⲁⲑⲓⲁⲥ; died c. AD 80) was, according to the Acts of the Apostles (written c. AD 63), chosen by the apostles to replace Judas Iscariot following the latter's betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death. His calling as an apostle is unique, in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus, who had already ascended into heaven, and it was also made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church. Biography There is no mention of a Matthias among the lists of disciples or followers of Jesus in the three synoptic gospels, but according to Acts, he had been with Jesus from his baptism by John until his Ascension. In the days following, Peter proposed that the assembled disciples, who numbered about 120, nominate two men to replace Judas. They chose Joseph called Barsabas (whose surname was Justus) and Matthias. Then they prayed, "Tho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane by kissing him on the cheek and addressing him as "master" to reveal his identity in the darkness to the crowd who had come to arrest him. His name is often used synonymously with betrayal or treason. The Gospel of Mark gives no motive for Judas's betrayal, but does present Jesus predicting it at the Last Supper, an event also described in all the other gospels. The Gospel of Matthew states that Judas committed the betrayal in exchange for thirty pieces of silver. The Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John suggest that he was possessed by Satan. According to , after learning that Jesus was to be crucified, Judas attempted to return the money he had been paid for his betrayal to th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Book Of Acts
The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its message to the Roman Empire. It gives an account of the ministry and activity of Christ's apostles in Jerusalem and other regions, after Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension. Acts and the Gospel of Luke make up a two-part work, Luke–Acts, by the same anonymous author. It is usually dated to around 80–90 AD, although some scholars suggest 90–110. The first part, the Gospel of Luke, tells how God fulfilled his plan for the world's salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Acts continues the story of Christianity in the 1st century, beginning with the ascension of Jesus to Heaven. The early chapters, set in Jerusalem, describe the Day of Pentecost (the coming of the Holy Spirit) and the growth of the chur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Second Coming
The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messianic prophecies and is part of most Christian eschatologies. Terminology Several different terms are used to refer to the Second Coming of Christ: In the New Testament, the Greek word ἐπιφάνεια (''epiphaneia'', appearing) is used five times to refer to the return of Christ. The Greek New Testament uses the Greek term ''parousia'' (παρουσία, meaning "arrival", "coming", or "presence") twenty-four times, seventeen of them concerning Christ. However, parousia has the distinct reference to a period of time rather than an instance in time. At parousia is used to clearly describe the period of time that Noah lived. The Greek word ''eleusi''s which means "coming" is not interchangeable with parousia. So this parousia or "p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Council Of Jerusalem
The Council of Jerusalem or Apostolic Council was held in Jerusalem around AD 50. It is unique among the ancient pre-ecumenical councils in that it is considered by Catholics and Eastern Orthodox to be a prototype and forerunner of the later ecumenical councils and a key part of Christian ethics. The council decided that Gentile converts to Christianity were not obligated to keep most of the fasts, and other specific rituals, including the rules concerning circumcision of males. The Council did, however, retain the prohibitions on eating blood, meat containing blood, and meat of animals that were strangled, and on fornication and idolatry, sometimes referred to as the Apostolic Decree or Jerusalem Quadrilateral. The purpose and origin of these four prohibitions is debated. Accounts of the council are found in Acts of the Apostles chapter 15 (in two different forms, the Alexandrian and Western versions) and also possibly in Paul's letter to the Galatians (chapter 2). Some s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saint Peter
Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un al-Safa, Simon the Pure.; tr, Aziz Petrus (died between AD 64 and 68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Peter the Rock, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ, and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, early Christian Church. He is traditionally counted as the first bishop of Romeor List of popes, popeand also as the first bishop of Antioch. Based on contemporary historical data, his papacy is estimated to have spanned from AD 30 to his death, which would make him the longest-reigning pope, at anywhere from 34 to 38 years; however, the length of his reign has never been verified. According to Apostolic Age, Christian tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome und ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joshua
Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ibn Nūn''; la, Iosue functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Exodus and Numbers, and later succeeded Moses as leader of the Israelite tribes in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua. His name was Hoshea ( ''Hōšēaʿ'', lit. 'Save') the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, but Moses called him "Yehoshua" (translated as "Joshua" in English),''Bible'' the name by which he is commonly known in English. According to the Bible, he was born in Egypt prior to the Exodus. The Hebrew Bible identifies Joshua as one of the twelve spies of Israel sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan. In Numbers 13:1, and after the death of Moses, he led the Israelite tribes in the conquest of Canaan, and allocated lands to the tribes. According to bib ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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